Middle School Entreprenurship Anonymous

Some students have a background or story that is so central to their identity that they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.

"One dollar." I smiled with satisfaction as I handed my friend a can of soda and hid the money he gave me in my shoe. It was at summer camp, when I was thirteen years old, that I discovered the "Law of Supply and Demand" and created a system that quadrupled my money in a matter of days. I wasn't taking advantage of my friends, but rather following basic financial principles--on a summer camp scale.

The "Black Market," as it was called, had the unit heads baffled. At the beginning of summer, our parents contributed a small amount of money for camp extras. When my camp counselor said he would be going out that night, and asked if we wanted anything, I began to think about my friends, who continuously complained about the heat in the middle of summertime. I finally said, "Would you go to Walmart and buy me a 12 pack of soda?" What cost me less than a quarter per can, I was able to sell to my friends for a dollar each. By the end of the camp session, I had earned a profit of about fifty dollars.

Fast forward to junior year and I was sitting in accounting class. Everyone was nearly asleep; however, I was fascinated by what was being taught. After the lesson my accounting teacher said, "Ok, everyone go to the computers and work on...